food from the heart of Tasmania

Celebration cake

This cake was requested by Kate. I had a perfect opportunity to put it together when a very close mutual friend of ours retired. Once people see the ingredients they may not eat it again….but then again it’s a celebration cake, reserved for very special occasions!

I had adapted the recipe from a Women’s Weekly cookbook called The Weekend Cook. I make the cake a few days in advance and freeze it. I also make the chocolate ganache the night before. I just find it easier to manage the process that way. This recipe only just fits in my electric mixer, you could easily halve the recipe.

It makes a really soft fudgy cake!

Celebration Cake

Method

Make the cake

Freeze until the day it is needed.

Make ganache the night before

The day it is needed, take cake out of freezer.

While still frozen, scoop out balls from one of the cakes. ( reserve the scoops)

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow. Grease and line two large deep round tins. ( I used silicon tins and just greased them)

Combine butter, dark/milk chocolate and water in saucepan until melted and smooth. Allow to cool.

While cooling, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla using an electic beater, until really thick and creamy. Add the cooled chocolate,butter and water.Fold in the sifted flours and cocoa. Bake in oven for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Test with skewer.

Take cake out and allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes. Turn cake onto rack to cool.

Once cold, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil and place in freezer. ( if completing cake in a few days)

White chocolate custard

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste ( or essence)

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons gelatine

2 tablespoons water

130 grams white eating chocolate, melted

1/2 cup thickened cream

Method

Place milk and vanilla in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Cool 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs yolks. Transfer to heatproof bowl. Place bowl in saucepan full of simmering water. Stir until mixture thickens slightly. Place gelatine and water in a small heatproof jug/container. Place in the same saucepan of simmering water. Once dissolved add to milk mixture. Cover and cool 5 minutes. Add white chocolate and cream, stir until smooth. ( Do not taste, as it is too yummy)

Chocolate truffles

Ingredients

75 grams dark/milk eating chocolate

1/2 cup thickened cream

scooped out cake

Method

Stir chocolate and cream in a small saucepan until smooth. Stir in reserved cake scoops. Cover and put into fridge until firm. Roll into balls. Decorate with white chocolate.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

300 grams dark/milk eating chocolate chopped

3/4 cup thickened cream

Method

Stir over low heat in small saucepan until smooth. Place in fridge until it firms up enough to spread.